


and they were roommates

by lunarlicorice



Category: HLVRAI - Fandom, Half-Life
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, and they were ROOMMATES, gay time, oh my god they were roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:21:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24283498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarlicorice/pseuds/lunarlicorice
Summary: Now here he sat on his couch. Nothing good on TV, and no energy to play any video games. He was debating on whether he should take a nap or not, when a weak knock echoed off his door.
Relationships: Benrey & Tommy Coolatta, Benrey/Gordon Freeman, Benry & Tommy Coolatta, Benry/Gordon Freeman, Bubby/Dr. Coomer (Half-Life)
Comments: 49
Kudos: 362





	1. alone for too long, but not long enough

It had been about a week since Gordon and the Science Team had made it to the surface. As much as he had been wanting to go home, things seemed mind-numbingly dull. He was coasting along on the checks from Black Mesa, which came along with money from the government to “keep quiet” about the whole incident. Thankfully the week he had been gone was not his week to care for Joshua, and no one had noticed his absence except his landlord, who had slipped a strongly-worded letter about rent under his door. 

Now here he sat on his couch. Nothing good on TV, and no energy to play any video games. He was debating on whether he should take a nap or not, when a weak knock echoed off his door. At first he ignored it, thinking it to be his neighbors. It was so faint. But it sounded again, louder, and he mustered the energy to get off his ass. “In a minute!” he called, brushing himself off and tying his hair in a messy ponytail. Peering through the peephole at the top of his door gave him nothing else defining who it was. So, he opened it.

A hooded figure stood in front of him, hands in their pockets. Was he being robbed? There was nothing of real value that he owned. They opened their mouth, sharp yellowed teeth clacking together.“Hey man, I-”

He practically slammed the door. What. The. Fuck. “Benry!?” he yelled out of surprise. His breathing quickened as his mind raced. No, Benry was dead. They killed him. They destroyed all the passports and he had delivered the finishing blow, and even if he had somehow survived he should be rotting on Xen. Maybe it was a hallucination? He’d surely acquired some kind of trauma from his time in Black Mesa, yeah, just his mind playing tricks.

He opened it again.

“I kinda need a place to crash, and-” Gordon pushed his hand out, stopping him. “You’re dead. I killed you, Benry.” Benry rubbed his one unobscured eye. “Yeah. That was kinda mean, bro.” “No, no, no,” Gordon shook his head, “You’re dead. You can’t just, show up at my door asking to come inside.” Benry blinked. “Huh.” Gordon reached out to him, and his hand landed on Benry’s chest. He was expecting- hoping it would just phase through. Benry looked down at his hand and placed his own on top of it. Gordon snatched his hand away, brushing it off. “I don’t know why- how, you’re still here, but i’m not letting you in.”

And so, he shut the door. 

It had been several hours before he got another knock at the door. “Fuck off, Benry!” he yelled. But they knocked again, a more confident knock than Benry’s. Looking through the cloudy glass of the peephole, he saw two figures. Shit. He opened it cautiously. “Hey, Daniel,” he said to the second figure. Daniel, his landlord, looked none too happy with him. “Is this man your friend?” he prodded, pointing at Benry, who looked at his finger with a hungry look in his eyes. “I wouldn’t say ‘friend’,” Gordon replied nervously. “But you know him?” he replied. Gordon was afraid of what was to follow “Well, yeah…” Daniel crossed his arms. “He’s been standing out here all day, blocking the path, scaring tenants and the like. So either you let your friend inside, or I call the police.” 

Gordon winced. As much as he hated Benry, getting the police involved… he was more scared of what Benry would do to the police then what would happen to him. He grabbed Benry by the sleeve and tugged him inside. “Alright, thanks, Daniel,” He said sweetly, though he was seething inside. He closed the door before Daniel could respond.


	2. shrek for the ps2 brought to you by radicalsoda

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> benry makes himself comfortable.

Gordon looked at Benry, who was idly looking around his apartment. “Well,” Gordon huffed. “Huh.” Benry replied, looking at him again. Goddamnit. He forgot how frustrating Benry could be. He had all this power yet he never knew what was going on. Was it an act, was he doing it on purpose? Or was he really that fucking dumb? He put a hand on his hip and held his head in his palm. “Look, Benry, why are you really here? Revenge? Some sort of cruel joke?”

He shrugged. “I just need a place to stay, man, and you’re my friend.” “we’re not-” Gordon growled. It was no use arguing at this point. Benry obviously didn’t care if they were actually friends or not. “Just- take that creepy hoodie off and don’t mess with my shit.” he sighed defeatedly, returning to his spot on the couch. He didn’t care what was on TV now, anything was better than Benry. 

There was a shuffling behind him as Benry approached the couch. Why couldn’t he just leave him alone? Though, as Benry sat beside him, he noticed something… off about him from the corner of his eye. And as he turned… “Jesus fuck, dude!” he practically yelled, scooting away from him. Benry wasn’t exactly… whole. Almost the entire left half of his body, which was hidden in the hoodie before, was skeletal. He wasn’t bleeding, but there were clearly open wounds covering most of his body.

“Wha?” he replied, looking at him with a blank look. “Dude- your-” Gordon stammered, trying to get out any comprehensible string of words. Benry looked down at his arm. “Oh yeah. It does that.” “What the fuck.” Gordon continued, wide-eyed “Does- does it hurt?” he didn’t know what compelled him to say it. Basic human compassion, yet, Benry wasn’t human… 

“You get used to it.” Benry said with a shrug. “You got any games?” “yeah…” he replied halfheartedly. It was taking him a moment to process. ‘You get used to it’? What the hell does that mean? Could Benry even feel pain? He’d always assumed he couldn’t. “Don’t think about it too much, Gordon…” he whispered to himself.

Gordon rubbed his brow and groaned. God, someone please save him… 

“Hey.” He looked up. “Wanna play Shrek for the PS2” Benry was lying next to him, two controllers already connected. He glanced at the screen and back to Benry. “Sure, why not.” he sighed. He’d given up on arguing. It would never get as bad as Black Mesa, and he was sure of that.

Except, it could. Two hours. Two hours of getting his ass handed to him by what was practically a zombie that had barged its way into his house. “How- how are you so good at this?” he asked, exasperated, his characters’ health hitting zero again. Benry just shrugged. There was a faint smile on his face. “Whatever.” glancing at the clock, he continued “I gotta get to bed anyway.” “Gamers like me don’t need sleep.” Benry said smugly. Gordon let out a sarcastic mhmm as he stretched.

He blinked awake groggily. Wh… what time was it? And why was he awake? A look at his bedside clock told him around 2 AM. Why… something shuffled behind him. turning, he froze. Benry was beside him, out cold. Not even under the covers, what an animal. His limbs were splayed out, taking up most of Gordon’s bed.

His helmet was still plastered to his head, and Gordon only had half the mind to not pry it off him out of curiosity. He let out a gruff sigh and rolled back over. It was going to be a long ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the few comments i've been getting have really kept me going, thank you guys so much. this isn't really going to be an angsty fic, and sorry the chapters have been so short. i plan on keeping this going as long as i have ideas, just playing around!


	3. was it a farm? or a multi-billion dollar company?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the gang meets up at a local mcdonald's

Gordon had been having a lot of weird dreams since Black Mesa. Some horrific, obvious signs of trauma, and some just… fucking weird. Like that one. Benry was dead. He watched him die. He was obviously still recovering. He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, fumbling around for his glasses. Finding them on the edge of his nightstand, he slid out of bed and stretched. 

He could do anything he wanted now that he was out of that hellhole. Most of what he had done so far was lie around on his ass and make toast. It gets addictive at a point, especially with butter. He shuffled out of his room feeling quite refreshed…

Fatigue hit him like a brick. It wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t. A fucking dream. There he was, in his now completely destroyed kitchen. “‘Sup.” Benry was tangled in a mess of kitchen utensils, Gordon’s fridge, and himself. His helmet was displaced on top of his head, scraggly black hair peeking out from underneath. “Benry, what-” he growled, bringing his hands up to his face and cutting himself off. Calm down. Calm down. Let him explain himself.

“Benry,” he repeated, calmer “what did you do to my kitchen?” Benry seemed to take a moment to process, freezing for a moment before looking around. “Huh?” God. Damn it. Benry looked around for a moment, recognition lighting up his eyes. “Oh. it att- it attacked me.” “...attacked you.” Gordon repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah man. It was all like, snarling n shit.” 

He let out an exasperated sigh and went to go fix up his kitchen. And maybe help Benry up, too. Carefully, he stepped over sharp utensils and Benry’s skeletal limbs, which frankly grossed him out. With one strategic heave he lifted the fridge off Benry and sat it back into place. He was just about to start picking up the rest of the mess when he noticed Benry staring at him. 

“...what?” Gordon pressed. He just continued staring. What does he want? “...do you want me to help you up?” he asked, not really thinking about what he was saying. It took Benry a moment before he nodded. Well, “uh, alright.” Gordon reached out a hand for the guard, who took it reluctantly. Benry stared at their hands together for a moment, before Gordon yanked him up off the ground. 

Gordon brushed him off, straightening his helmet on his head. He just stared at him. “What?” Gordon asked. After staring for another moment, Benry seemed to realize he was being talked to. “Uh. You’re ugly, bro.” right. Yeah, ok. He went back to cleaning the kitchen as Benry rambled. “Like. so ugly it’s like, mesmerizing. So bad that i can’t look away.” Gordon rolled his eyes and finished cleaning up. It was still a bit messy, but it would do for now. 

The two stood there in silence for a minute, neither of them knowing where to take it from here. Gordon practically jumped when his thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing. It didn’t phase Benry. He didn’t expect it to. Picking up the receiver, he heard a familiar voice. “Hello. Gordon!” puzzled, he replied, “...Dr. Coomer?” There was a shuffle on the other side, another familiar voice yelling “Did he forget us? He better not have forgotten us-” “Yes, it’s me, Dr. Freeman!” He was about to respond, when he remembered something. “...how did you get my number, Dr. Coomer?” he didn’t remember giving it to him. Silence. “Hello, Gordon!” right. “Me and Bubby-” “DOCTOR Bubby” “-were wondering if you’d join us at McDonald’s for a good ol’ getup?” Gordon glanced back at Benry, who was poking around his kitchen again. “...sure thing.”

…

It was overcast that day. Dr. Coomer had given them the address of the place they were to meet, a McDonald’s not too far from his apartment complex. As he stepped out of his old pickup truck and locked the door, he could barely see the top of Benry’s helmet over the roof. He had insisted on wearing it, though, agreed to change out of his militaristic vest into something more casual. One of Gordon’s old band T-shirts, Pink Floyd if he remembered right. And of course, a jacket to cover his still skeletal left half. 

Gordon held the door open for Benry, out of habit more than anything else. He just stood there. “You good?” “whuh. Oh. what- what are you doing, bro?” did he... had no one ever held a door for him before? That was kinda… sad, honestly. “Go on in, Benry,” Gordon gestured. It took him yet another moment to step through, looking dumbfounded. He seemed to be muttering to himself, fiddling with his hands and looking somewhere beyond what Gordon could see. 

“Hello, Gordon!” called a familiar voice. Gordon smiled and waved. Dr. Coomer and Bubby- Dr. Bubby sat at a table beside each other in a far corner. A large dog lay at their feet. He pointed towards the counter and went to order first, almost forgetting Benry. “Hey dude. What do you want?” “huh?” He turned to see the guard focused on the toy display. “To ea-” “the uhh… kid’s- happy meal. With the fuckin’. Boy toy.” so he could hear through that thing. He was just slow, he supposed. Ordering himself a burger and a kid’s meal for Benry, he walked with the guard to the table. 

“Why’d you want a kid’s meal? Isn’t that for kids?” he jibed. Benry’s expression barely showed one of a smirk as he thought. “Why’d you get a- a Big Mac? Aren’t those for like, fat people?” Gordon laughed a little. “Are you saying i’m not fat?” the guard’s step faltered for a beat, his smirk disappearing into something he hadn’t seen before. “No you’re like- super fat, bro. Like this morning when you were- when you were saving me this morning i got a good view of like, how big and. Unhealthy you are.” he had raised his arm to rub the back of his neck, an almost cliche display of nervousness. Gordon laughed a bit more before sitting down across from Dr. Bubby.

The group caught up on a few things. Coomer and Bubby had gotten a house together, where they got the money Gordon was too afraid to ask. Tommy, who was visiting with his father outside, had gotten Sunkist approved as an emotional support dog. With some helpful persuasion from his father.

“Did you know arson is not legal outside of Black Mesa?” Bubby scoffed, fiddling with his drink straw. Gordon raised his eyes in fake surprise “really?” “i know! It’s bullshit!” Bubby continued, throwing his arms out. His ramblings slowly faded away as Gordon focused on Benry. He seemed to be figuring out how to eat the burger Gordon had ordered him. “Do you not like burgers?” he asked, worried. Benry hadn’t been… evil, as he thought he would have been. He mostly seemed lost or confused. 

Benry finally took a bite and something akin to emotion flooded his eyes. Pupils dilated, he quickly ate the entire thing in seconds. “Woah!” exclaimed Gordon, shocked. “Now Benry, those aren’t proper manners!” Dr. Coomer interjected, shutting down Bubby’s gradually more aggressive rant. Benry looked at Gordon, mouthing words that couldn’t seem to come out. Though he finally choked out a “thank you,” it was clear he wanted to say more.

“Hello, Mr. Freeman!” called who could only ever be Tommy. Gordon turned and waved. “Hey Tommy, how’s G?” “Dad’s great!” Tommy replied with a smile, bending down to pet Sunkist who was furiously wagging her tail. Glancing up for a moment, Tommy recognized the gleam of the blue helmet before him. “Benry!” He yelled, wrapping the guard in a tight hug from behind “I was so worried!” Benry seemed to tense up for a moment. “You were- you were worried?” “of course!” Tommy cried, pulling away. “Well uh. You shouldn’t be. I’m- i’m a great cool, i’m always good, bro.” Tommy, though ecstatic and concerned at the same time, nodded and pulled up a chair to sit next to Gordon. 

They talked for a while, about a lot of things. Most nonsensical or having to do with how strange the world was outside Black Mesa for the lot of them. Benry was quiet most of the time, only speaking up every now and then to crack a joke.

Eventually. Someone made the joke that Tommy would like the playplace. Though he protested, Benry offered to go instead. “Wait- really?” Gordon replied, dumbfounded. “Yeah, you think i’m too- I’m too big for it?” As he shook his head, Benry was out of his chair and in the playplace with alarming speed. Everyone watched in awe as he scaled the place, slipping in and out, obviously aiming for the top. Bubby had a smirk on his face, his unusually sharp teeth giving him an even more menacing look. Tommy and Sunkist had their faces pressed against the glass, and Gordon was invested in watching the others, when-

“My god, Gordon! I think he’s stuck!” Exclaimed Dr. Coomer, snapping Gordon to attention. It didn’t seem he was stuck physically, and he could probably shift out of a situation like that, but he was clinging to the large net near the top, face showing only a sliver of fear. “Fuck,” Gordon exhaled, getting out of his chair. The instinct to come to the aid of those in danger that had nested itself inside him from Black Mesa showed its face once more. 

Gordon was not going to be able to climb that thing. Not in the slightest. He thought for a moment before standing below Benry. “Here, jump,” He looked at him, confused. “I’ll- I’ll catch you, yeah?” he elaborated, holding his arms out. He wasn’t too far off the ground, so it wouldn’t be too hard to catch him. Benry blinked before letting go of his white-knuckle grip on the thin netting, falling into Gordon’s arms. He let out a grunt and lifted him princess-bride style. 

He carried him out of the door into the eating area without a second thought. Dr. Coomer and Dr. Bubby were staring at them, seemingly proud. It wasn’t a really big feat, honestly… and Tommy, he was waving his hands up and down excitedly, a huge smile on his face. It was… stimming, if he remembered correctly. Joshua did it a lot, but he always called it the wiggles around him. 

Then, finally, he realized why. He looked down to see Benry, face more warm and red than his corpse-like complexion ever allowed him to be. He remembered something from Black Mesa. He set Benry down before any more could be said, and brushed himself off, admittedly a little flustered. 

Everyone said their goodbyes and parted ways. Though Tommy and Benry stayed inside a little longer to talk. Gordon was left alone in his truck with his thoughts. What were they talking about? Why had Benry chosen his doorstep to show up on? Why was his left half mutilated? And, most importantly…

...why was he so enamored with him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YO! sorry this one took so long, i put a lot of work into it. i'm posting this right after i finished it haha. it's about... 3 am here for me, so whoo! it should be the longest chapter yet. i really hope you guys like this, my self esteem has been tanking recently and reading all your nice comments really brightens my day :]


	4. swim school

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gordon bad dad moments

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Gordon cursed under his breath, scrambling for his keys and putting a hat over his mess of hair. “Woah bro,” interjected Benry, who was lounging on his couch “What’s the rush?” Gordon didn’t stop as he headed for the door. “I’m late to pick up Joshie from daycare,” Benry didn’t respond, even after he slipped outside and locked the door. Strange. He expected one of his horrible quips with shitty grammar. 

Turning, he almost threw a punch when he saw Benry standing behind him. “What the fuck!?” Benry let out one of his demonic laughs as Gordon shoved him playfully. “Don’t do that, man.” His laugh died down to a snicker and he smiled. “Shoulda seen your face, little- little bitchboy. Scaredy cat.” Gordon rolled his eyes and hurried to his truck, Benry trailing behind.

He stood in the lobby, fiddling with his shirt as he waited for the receptionist to call the class for Joshua. He looked like a mess, definitely not someone you’d label a good father. Not that he was one in the first place anyway. Benry had stayed in the car, Gordon thought it was best for him to stay away from people as much as possible. He definitely wasn’t the most welcoming figure. Military grade helmet, yellow eyes, and a messy fashion taste of Gordon’s old high-school band t-shirts and hoodies. He looked like an edgy high-schooler attempting cosplay, and his height wasn’t helping.

The sound of a door opening down the hall cut through the ambience of babbling children and laughter and he looked up. Joshua was stumbling down the hall, little legs struggling to keep balance as he rushed towards his father. The teacher stood holding the door open, nodding at Gordon before closing it.”baba!” Yelled Joshua as Gordon swept him into his arms “Hey Joshie,” he laughed. Carrying Joshua in one arm, he signed him out of daycare and opened the door.

It was hard to keep his eyes on the road. Benry had insisted on sitting in the backseat. ...with Joshua. He felt it was wrong to feel worried- yet at the same time, Benry was… to put it simply, a murderer. Then again, so was he. Every time he glanced back at them both, he expected to see something out of a horror show. But all Benry was doing is staring. Neither of them were talking, which was rare. It was almost as if they were having a staring contest. It was like that until they got home. 

When he opened the passenger door to grab Joshua, he was startled to find Benry asleep. Grabbing Joshua he debated locking him in just for a laugh. No, no. That was cruel. Laying a careful hand on the man’s shoulder, he shook him lightly. “Benry,” he whispered. “Bebby” He was about to try again when he registered what had just happened. Joshua looked at Gordon intently. “Bebby!” he repeated. Gordon was at a loss for words. That was the fastest he’d ever registered a word. It was- he was proud, yet, it was- “Yoooo” Benry yawned, snapping him back to reality. “Shit baby called me Bebby.” Gordon sighed. “Don’t curse around him, Benry.” “Haha whateverr.” the guard replied, sliding out of the opposite door with a snicker. 

It felt like years since he had cared for Joshua, but it was at most two weeks. The toddler bawled in his high-chair as Gordon desperately tried to calm him down, for his own sake and his neighbors’. Joshua was having none of it. He was about to give up when he remembered the guard sitting on his couch. He was playing another game Gordon didn’t even remember owning, Finding Nemo. He didn’t even know that movie had a game adaptation. 

“Benry,” he called “Benry!” again. “Huh? Whuh?” the guard turned, staring foggy-eyed. Gordon was about to continue when Benry finally seemed to register what was going on. “Your uh- your cringe baby is crying.” Gordon nodded, eyes clearly begging for help. He turned back to his game. “Maybe you should uh. Not be such a bad- bad dad.” He sighed and went back to trying to feed Joshua.

Benry glanced at him from the corner of his eye, finally pausing his game and walking to the kitchen. He picked up Joshua, who was still crying, and held him close to his chest. Gordon was, admittedly, nervous about this. From what he knew, Benry had never interacted with a child before. “Now, don’t-” Gordon started, but it was a bit too late for that. The guard’s throat glowed a strange light blue as matching-blue orbs flowed from his mouth.

It was almost hypnotic. The sound, the visuals… they didn’t call it the sweet voice for nothing. He hated how much of an effect it had on him, yet… it was making him… quite… tired.

...

Benry lay on the couch, weighed down by a sleeping baby, and a drowsy Gordon. He wasn’t going to lie, it was a tad painful. As much as he brushed the fact that he was… not exactly whole off, it did hurt. And Gordon’s fat ass laying on it wasn’t helping. He wished he could’ve had more time to work on it. But… he didn’t want to be forgotten. 

He continued to sing long after Gordon was asleep. It helped him calm down as well. Suddenly- his pitch spiked and the blue quickly warmed into a mauve. Gordon- in his sleep, had snuggled closer to Benry. It was surprising, to say the least. After a while it cooled back into blue, and he too drifted off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY this took so long. i dunno how it compares in quality to the other chapters but i'm posting this at like, 1 am. thanks for you guys' support, it really means a lot to me.


	5. super mario in real life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gordon makes spaghetti my dads a chef yet this is all he cooks send help

When Gordon awoke, it was a bit past noon. He was on the couch with a peacefully resting Joshua in his arms. It took him a moment to remember what had happened. Where was Benry, anyway? Something tapped his forehead and he looked up. An inhuman, yellow eye stared intently down at him. The effects of the sweet voice must have still been in his system, because it didn’t startle him as much as usual. 

He reached up and bopped the guard’s head away, sitting up slowly so as to not disturb Joshua. Mission failed. The toddler opened his eyes and grumbled a little, clearly irritated with his sudden awakening. Out of the corner of his eye Gordon saw Benry’s throat begin to glow, and he hushed him. “No- no more, dude. We’ll end up sleeping the whole day.” Joshua began to whimper a bit. With a sigh, Gordon lifted him up to go change him and get something to entertain him with.

Benry stood behind the couch, leaning on it. A buzzing sensation filled his chest and he couldn’t help but let out one more outburst. A sing-song melody accompanied by orange and pink orbs. He slid to the ground, completely engrossed with his music.

Gordon squinted at him out of the corner of his eye as he changed Joshua. Something clicked as he stopped for a moment to pull out his phone and take a picture. He brought Joshua back out and sat him on the carpet in front of the couch. “Right,” he grunted. “Benry, I uh…” was he really going to do this? “I need you to watch Joshie while I make dinner. You think you can do that?” apparently he was.

Benry was a little shocked. He never expected to be asked to help. And by Gordon, of all people. He nodded after a minute and crawled over to sit next to the kid. Gordon headed off and he was left alone. Inhuman and baby. What could go wrong?

Surprisingly… not a lot. In only a bit of time Benry had Joshua completely enthralled in the Lego Movie videogame. The kid sat contently in his lap, tiny hands on top of his own. Every now and then the kid would exclaim “Bebby! Bey.” which, to Benry, meant it was his turn. Joshua was pretty shit at playing, but he wouldn’t judge. Gordon was worse. 

“Benry is good with kids” is not a phrase Gordon thought he’d ever catch himself thinking. But as he sliced tomato, he couldn’t help but smile hearing his child’s ecstatic giggles. He slid the tomato off the cutting board and into the deep pan he was cooking in, mixing it in with the rest of the sauce ingredients. He stirred until he felt it was right and added the noodles, sitting back and leaning on the counter. 

He took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. Tommy Coolatta. [Hey.] he sent, still keeping an eye on Benry and Joshua. Joshua seemed to be enjoying the western level and Gordon let out a small chuckle. [Hello Mr. Freeman!!!] replied tommy. [I told you, call me Gordon.] He didn't get why Tommy always called him that. Even if he refused to call him Gordon, he would much rather prefer DR. Freeman. He didn’t earn that degree for nothing.

[Right, Mr. Gordon. Did you need something?] Close… close enough. [You can read the uh… sweet voice, right?] He knew he could, it was just polite to ask. [Of course, Mr. Gordon!] [Cool. Here, can you translate this?] As he tapped the image to add it to his next message, he wondered if it was wrong. It felt kinda like eavesdropping. But… no, he didn’t really have any good ways to write it off. Just let it be another stain on his conscience. [img.png] Tommy… wasn’t responding. He waited a minute or two and still. Nothing. Ah, maybe he had something he had to do. He’d ask again later. 

Gordon set 3 plates on the table. Something he hadn’t done in such a long time. He walked over and lifted Joshua out of Benry’s lap. “Baba!” the baby cooed, holding his arms out. Gordon chuckled and went to put him in his high chair. “Bro that was really cringe. We were boutta unlock unikitty.” Benry whined in his usual apathetic voice. Gordon rolled his eyes and gestured for the guard to sit.

Benry was frozen for a moment before tentatively sitting at the table. Gordon realized that he must not know what… this is. The only time he’d ever seen him out of Black Mesa was only a few days ago. And his attitude at McDonald’s yesterday… one could only assume he’d never eaten either. He decided it was probably best not to bug him about it. He’d already snapped a photo of him. Speaking of- Tommy still hadn’t replied. Whatever. 

Gordon helped Joshua eat- cutting up the noodles too large for him to swallow and trying to get him to use a fork. It was hopeless of course, the kid mashed his hands in sauce and looked like a serial killer by the end of it. Benry was obviously struggling too. Eating spaghetti with one hand was surprisingly difficult, even more so if you didn’t know how to eat spaghetti or what it was.

After dinner, Gordon set up Joshua’s crib and put him to sleep. He sat in his bedroom, Benry in his living room doing god knows what. He pulled out his phone to check if Tommy had replied yet. Still nothing. Well, he might as well prod a little. [Tommy?] only a moment later he got a response. [yes, Mr. Gordon?] [You didn’t answer me from before.]

Tommy typed for a while, that little ellipses at the bottom of the screen taunting Gordon. The reply he got was nothing short of frustrating. [I’m sorry, Mr. Gordon, Benry doesn’t want me to tell you that.] Gordon frowned at it. But- a crashing noise shook him from his thoughts. Rolling his eyes, he shuffled over to peek out of the crack of his bedroom door. What had “attacked” Benry this time, hm?

What he saw instead was nothing short of chilling. He’d noticed Benry was getting a bit less skeletal every day, but he’d always put it out of mind. He didn’t realize… well. He took in a shaky breath. Benry was hunched over, making a gurgling noise and letting out a low- almost inaudible note. With it came a sparse stream of thick, black orbs. They swirled around him, before focusing on his arm and hitting the bone.

It hissed and bubbled, and his eyes looked up for a moment, Gordon shifting out of sight. He looked so human, so… hurt. Eventually the hissing subsided to reveal messy scar tissue, intermixed with sparse patches of skin. It looked horrendous, and painful. Gordon looked down at his own prosthetic- something he often forgot about- and reconsidered having his arm back. It looked so, so horrible. The guard lingered for a moment longer, breathing labored and shallow. Eventually he looked up and began walking towards Gordon’s bedroom, prompting him to swiftly jump into bed and pretend to be asleep. Benry fell limp on the bed, passing out immediately. Snoring. 

…

Why… why was he awake? Thunk. God, right. Benry never took that helmet off. Thunk. And it was- thunk. Hitting him- thunk. ON THE HEAD. He sat up, almost ripping the helmet off the guard’s head. It. h. Long, black hair spilled out of the helmet and all over the bed. It framed the guard’s face perfectly. The only comparison he could make would be to Snow White. Without the helmet he could also see the extent of the damage from the final fight.

The reason only one eye shone when he looked at him was because he only had one eye. Almost. The other one was… useless, as far as he could see. The same scar tissue from before covered most of the left half of his face. Yet he was still… so…

Gordon’s phone buzzed, snapping him into reality. He rolled over and checked the screen. One new message, from Tommy.

[Yellow to mauve, means he’s in love.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got a burst of motivation from the last chapter and i don't know why. you guys fuel me as always. so, *spoils you with a new chapter sooner than expected*

**Author's Note:**

> yo yo yo! this is my first ever fic i'm posting and planning on keeping up. i'm really nervous so please let me know if you like it! i should update fairly regularly, my hyperfixations are good for something i guess.


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